Jeff Neumann

A reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Robert Tait spent 28 hours blindfolded in the custody of Egypt's notorious state security apparatus last Friday. Here's part of what he heard:

The sickening, rapid click-click-clicking of the electrocuting device sounded like an angry rattlesnake as it passed within inches of my face. Then came a scream of agony, followed by a pitiful whimpering from the handcuffed, blindfolded victim as the force of the shock propelled him across the floor.

A hail of vicious punches and kicks rained down on the prone bodies next to me, creating loud thumps. The torturers screamed abuse all around me. Only later were their chilling words translated to me by an Arabic-speaking colleague: "In this hotel, there are only two items on the menu for those who don't behave – electrocution and rape."

Read the whole story to get an idea of what it's like inside the torture machine fostered by Egypt's new vice president Omar Suleiman.